


I Still Believe

by DistantStar



Category: clexa - Fandom
Genre: Christmas, Clexa, F/F, Fluff, Lexa is dressed like an elf, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, Pulling a Christmas Tree, no smut here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantStar/pseuds/DistantStar
Summary: Lexa just has to get this Christmas Tree to the kids hospital - whatever it takes. She surely isn't expecting Santa to pick her up on the way.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 12
Kudos: 102





	I Still Believe

The hospital she was trying to get to was remote, and the roads covered completely in snow. Just that morning Anya had come at her with an elf suit…

_“What the fuck is that?” Lexa had asked, rolling over onto her back in bed just as Anya burst through the door holding the bright green garment up._

_“It’s an elf-suit, what does it look like?” Anya asked, rolling her eyes._

_Lexa snorted and flung an arm over her eyes, “like Christmas threw up in your closet…” she paused a second when Anya didn’t say anything back. Slowly, Lexa uncovered her eyes and sat up in bed, looking at Anya’s face and raised eyebrows and at the offensive garment she had in her hand, “what is that doing in here??”_

_Anya cleared her throat, “Max’s hospital can use a little help this year.”_

_“Oh….” Lexa felt her demeanor soften when she heard the little girl's name, and she eyed the suit up and down again._

Four hours later, she had the damn thing on and real tree in the back of her truck. Over the phone, Anya was in her ear as she drove, _“are you sure, Lexa? Are you sure its the biggest you can get??”_

“I’m positive, Anya..” Lexa said back, glancing at the tree in the bed of her truck in the rear-view mirror. She snorted, “I mean..it might not even fit in the building.”

 _“Oh, that’s good!”_ the relief was evident in Anya’s voice Lexa had to pull the phone away a minute, _“that’s..”_ the line went dead. Frowning, Lexa put her phone back to her ear, 

“Hello?” she asked, “An?” Nothing. Pulling the phone away from her ear again Lexa glanced down at it to find it had no signal. Keeping glancing up at the road, she grunted and tossed the phone into the seat next to her. She hit a bump in the road and heard something explode. As her truck started to weave about Lexa realized she had a flat tire. Hoping she was wrong she slowed down and pulled to a stop on the side of the road. Opening the door, she got out in the snow and walked to the back of her truck.

And there was the flat tire, on the driver's side. Lexa didn’t have a spare and she looked up at the tree in the bed of her truck and was swallowed in guilt. It was Max’s tree. It was the tree of all those kids at Arkadia Children’s Hospital. Shoving her hands back through her hair Lexa stared at the tree. How in the world was she going to get it there now?

-=-

The big red bag of stuffed Christmas toys took up one half the back seat of her truck. The bells on them jingled as she drove over potholes and bumps in the road. ‘Little Drummer Boy’ by Pentatonix was on the radio,

_‘I have no gift to bring pa rum pum pum pum…’_

At the wheel, Clarke hummed along with the song,

_‘That’s fit to give a King pa rum pum pum pum..’_

God, the girl in the band could sing. Clarke could listen to her for hours. She’d probably already listened to this song about six times now since leaving home,

_‘Pa rum pum pum pum..’_

She had stayed up all night wrapping presents in Christmas paper and sticking on shiny bows. The big green bag of presents took up the other half of the back seat of her truck.

_‘Rum pum pum pum…’_

It was her mom who had convinced her to wear a Santa suit. Clarke had whined a little when her mom had pulled it out, _“really?”_

_“It’s your dad’s. But he’s doing a benefit marathon this year.”_

_“Mom…” Clarke protested._

_“Please, Clarke,” her mother asked, “you know it’s important. It would mean so much to the kids.”_

_Clarke squeezed her eyes shut because she knew she was going to give in because the hopeful look in her mom’s eyes was too much. Grinding her teeth she asked, “do I have to wear a beard??” Opening her eyes she stared at her mother._

_Abby had started laughing, “of course not,” she said, and Clarke started laughing with her too because suddenly it felt so good thinking of the looks on the kids faces when Santa walked through the door. She had been that kid once. Abby looked at the suit again, “but..” she laughed, “we might have to take it in.”_

Tears flooded Clarke’s eyes. She had been that kid once. The kid at the hospital for Christmas. She remembered seeing Santa come through the door of her room. She had been only six but she remembered. Back then, she hadn’t known it was her dad. 

_‘...shall I play for you pa rum pum pum pum.’_

Sniffling and telling herself that kids didn’t need to see Santa crying on Christmas, and she loved those kids, Clarke wiped her eyes with a red coat-sleeve. Looking up again she slammed on the brakes.

There was a red truck stopped dead halfway off the road right in front of her. Her own truck stopped just shy of hitting it. And as her heart calmed down and she got a grip on herself she noticed the truck’s tailgate was down and it looked abandoned and just sitting there, “what the fuck?” Clarke asked, then slapped a hand over her mouth even though no one else was there because she probably shouldn’t be cussing at Christmas. She also knew she couldn’t just drive away without making sure the truck was empty and someone wasn’t hurt in there. 

Opening the door of her truck, Clarke got out in the snow, “hello?” she called. There was no answer. She snuck up on the truck anyway as though someone might jump out at her, and noticed all the tracks around it in the snow. Once close enough she noticed the flat tire. Also that the bed of the truck was scattered in fresh pine needles and looking ahead of the truck she saw a deep muddy track leading away along the side of the road. Clarke sighed, “bad day for a flat tire.” she said, then went to the front to check the cab and peeked in the window.

But the truck was empty. No one was home. She worried suddenly that they might be walking in the snow. Clarke looked up the road. Deciding to keep an eye out for them on the way, Getting back in her truck, she closed the door, and drove on. 

She’d only made it another half mile before she saw the strangest thing. There was an elf on the side of the road, dragging a Christmas tree that really looked too heavy. Clarke rubbed her eyes to be sure she wasn’t seeing things. She still believed, yes...but this was unreal. The elf must have heard her truck because suddenly they whipped around and put a thumb up in the air. 

Wondering if the day could get any weirder than it already was, Clarke pulled to a stop near the elf and rolled the window down, “did you need help?” she asked, and suddenly realized the elf was a young woman about her own age, and not an elf at all. Her eyes were sparkly and green and she had two long brown braids hanging down her back and Clarke could not stop staring...

“Oh, thank god,” the elf answered, “yes, please…” she motioned to the Christmas tree she was dragging and tugged it closer, “my phone is dead and my truck got a flat tire there a while back and I have to get this tree to the kid’s hospital..” the woman paused and squinted at her, “why….” she asked, “why are you in a Santa suit?”

“What?” Clarke snapped out of it and looked down at what she was wearing, “oh!” she blushed, “I’m um...heading to...to a kid’s hospital to give the kids presents.” She bit her lip and hoped it would make sense, or something. That the pretty brunette wouldn’t think she was some kind of weirdo.

“You are??” the elf’s green eyes lit up and looked hopeful. She looked at the tree she had been pulling.

“Yeah,” Clarke answered, eyeing her carefully she remembered how odd a sight it was to run into a hitch-hiking, tree-dragging, Christmas elf, probably as odd as Santa driving a pickup truck down a road, “why...why are you in an elf-suit??” Clarke bit her lip and looked the elf up and down again.

“Oh!” the elf looked down too then up at her, “I was actually on my way to the kid’s hospital too! I have to…” she seemed distressed, “get this tree to them…” she tugged at it a little, then looked up at Clarke again, “can I get a ride with you?” 

Everything was starting to click in Clarke’s head. She looked in the mirror at the bed of her brand new truck. She didn’t have a tarp. She looked out at the elf’s hopeful face, “Arkadia Children’s Hospital?”

The elf nodded, “that’s the one. I…” she was breathless, “I really need to get there.”

At that exact moment Clarke tuned in to the song playing on the radio,

_“*Santa’s comin’ in a pickup instead of his trusty sleigh…”_

The elf must have heard it too because she looked through the window and at the dash..

_“He’ll have a truck instead of reindeer…”_

When she looked back at Clarke, their eyes met…

_“...to carry him on his way..”_

Clarke smiled and kicked her driver side door open and said, “well what are you waiting for, Jingles?” she dropped down into the snow.

The elf beamed at her, “thank you!” she tried to pick up the tree.

Clarke rushed to help her lift it. It was heavier than she thought and she had no idea how the girl had managed to drag it this far. They rolled it over the side of the truck and it fell into the metal bed with a loud bang, “okay?”

“Okay.”

Clarke got back behind the wheel and unlocked the passenger side door and pushed it open and the elf scrambled into the seat and closed the door behind her. She was rubbing her hands and arms though and Clarke frowned slightly and turned on the heat first and blasted it, “you okay?”

She nodded, “I am now.”

Starting the truck Clarke pulled back onto the snowy road. After a few minutes she looked over at the girl in the seat next to her and asked, “So, Jingles, you have a name?”

Elf bit her lip and was tapping out time with the music on her leg, “do you, Santa?” she smirked over at her.

Clarke laughed, “I’m Clarke,” she said, “when it’s not Christmas. But don’t tell anyone.”

“I’m Lexa,” she laughed too, “don’t tell anyone either.”

Clarke smiled, “that’s a pretty name.” 

Lexa glanced down at her lap, “I like yours.”

“Thank you,” Clarke felt a faint blush crawl up her neck, “it’s my dad’s middle name. But mine has an ‘E’ on the end.”

“Mine was my grandmother’s.” Lexa provided, “but she called herself the whole name, Alexandria.”

“Well,” Clarke said as she drove, “it's nice to meet you, Lexa.”

Lexa smiled at her, “it’s nice to meet you too, Clarke. Thank you for helping me.”

"It's my pleasure," Clarke wished she didn't have to keep her eyes on the road, “and you’re welcome.” After a minute she added, “it’s another two miles to the hospital you know? Were..were you really going to try dragging that tree all the way?”

“The kids need a tree,” Lexa answered with a soft shrug, “and a Santa Claus. Who better to bring it than her and her elf?”

“Damn right,” Clarke’s smile went ear to ear. This girl was something else, and she could get used to it. For the rest of the drive she tapped her fingertips on the wheel along with the music,

_‘Santa’s gonna come in a pickup truck when he visits you and me.’_

-=-

It was warm inside. Dr. Griffin had carols playing and all the kids were out of the rooms and playing games. Max was with them, pushing around her little feeding bag holder. Taking a deep breath Anya stared at the little girl who was laughing her head off as she looked up at Dr. Griffin,

“Is Santa going to come?” Max asked.

“She should be here soon, honey.” Dr. Griffin patted Max’s head and Anya watched her eyes light up.

“But we don’t even have a tree,” Amber, one of the older girls, spoke up, “he’s not going to come if we don’t have a tree.”

Max rolled her eyes at Amber, “well..maybe she will bring a tree? Right,” she asked, “Dr. Abby?” Max looked up at the doctor who had been standing there for the whole thing.

“We’ll have to see,” Dr. Griffin spoke up and looked across the room toward her over the heads of the children. Anya just sighed and shook her head. She’d told Dr. Griffin she knew someone who could get a tree. She promised they would come through and even though she was late she knew Lexa would, because Lexa didn’t know how to quit. 

Anya went back to watching out the window. A light snow had started falling outside about five minutes ago. But she squinted suddenly because through it she suddenly saw a spot of candy apple red, “kids!” Anya shouted as the red truck came into view, bumping along over hills of snow, “we got a surprise for you!” Anya shot a look across the way to Dr. Griffin who clapped her hands and started toward the door,

“Everyone, lets go outside!” 

The kids that could raced toward the door and put on coats. The others limped or hobbled after. Anya went to Max and picked her up making sure to get her feeding bag and bundled her in her coat on the way out the door. She’d just stepped out into the snow when the red truck pulled up in the drive. But a blonde in a Santa suit jumped out of it holding a bag full of toys,

“Ho, ho, ho!” she shouted, “Merry Christmas!”

“It’s Santa!” Abby said, pushing some of the kids forward gently toward the Santa Claus who opened the bag and started handing stuffed toys out. Cries of “It’s Santa!” rang in the air. 

But Anya just stood there flabbergasted. Because she could have sworn that looked exactly like Lexa’s red truck. But then the door of the other side swung open and Lexa popped out and ran to where the kids were as the Santa Claus chick added loudly, “and her elf!” 

After a second Lexa looked up, she tugged on the Santa’s sleeve and pointed to her and Max. They came over together and Lexa was beaming as Santa patted Max’s hair, “hi Max! I’ve heard you were very good this year!” she smiled at Anya as she handed Max a plush Christmas moose.

Anya found her voice, “I’m Anya?” she said carefully, looking at the Santa and then glancing at Lexa. Lexa just shrugged, bit her lip and grinned at her. Finally Anya asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Santa Claus,” the Santa replied. She hooked a thumb Lexa’s way, “and this is Jingles.”

“Jingles???” Anya raised an eyebrow at Lexa. It was very hard not to die laughing.

Lexa turned crimson, “ah...that’s right! Jingles it is,” she turned and suddenly made a beeline back to the truck and hopped up in the back of it, and half-lifted a large Christmas tree, “now! Everyone look what we have here! Who wants to help set up a tree??”

Kids started shouting and screaming happily. Max squirmed to get down and Anya carefully placed the feeding bag in the special pouch in her jacket, placed her into the snow and watched her make her way to where the Santa was climbing into the bed of the truck. In disbelief, and not sure what happened here to make a Santa and an ‘elf’ show up with a truck load of tree and toys, she stared. But it was Christmas. So she let it go for now ..and moved quickly to help ‘Jingles’ -the Elf. 

(*song credit: Santa's Coming in a Pickup, by Alan Jackson)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! VERY long time no see! Or write, in this case. Anyway Merry Merry Christmas to all of you! I am leaving this little fic here to start, and will be posting a couple more Christmas-y ones over the next few days (including a [ Wild Earth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11256984/chapters/25167087)) one. (I will also be updating that fic soon now that I'm back again.) Enjoy and have a great Christmas Night!
> 
> For more of my fics visit my tumblr [Here](https://adistantstarblog.tumblr.com/fics).


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